Real-Time Strategy Six-Pack (#4): World in Conflict

It’s an admittedly improbable scenario: unmarked tankers pull into Seattle’s harbor and unload a Soviet invasion force. Instead of lying down and losing the Cold War like they’re supposed to, the Reds are coming to bury an America already exhausted by war in Europe.

World in Conflict’s biggest departure from other games in the genre is in how the sides are configured. Beyond the US/NATO versus the Soviets, each faction is divided into force compositions; heavy armor, light armor, infantry, helicopter, etc. Each of these compositions has a strength and weakness similar to the rock, paper, scissors mechanic you find in a lot of RTS games. But every kill and objective you hold scores points you can then spend on off-map support (artillery or air strikes) to even things out.

Even in the campaign, you never control any more than a small part of the battlefield; you’re given orders to operate on one side of the map while your allies take action on another. The opening mission – the one wherein you run all over Seattle rescuing civilians – sets the pace for a story that’s about completing your assignment while hoping others don’t screw up theirs. World in Conflict isn’t about storming the enemy base so much as it is holding captured ground until it’s safe to move forward. You can use artillery and air strikes to pave the way for your advance, or use the terrain to sneak up on fortified positions. Given the weakness of the skirmish AI (at least in the recently released PC version), the campaign might be the best bet for solo players.

Design energy seems to have been spent judiciously on the multiplayer portion of WiC. Since the division of forces means you can’t be an army of one, you’ll need to rely on your teammates to counter enemies that are trying to counter you. It’s a sort of Team Fortress RTS, where you assume a role based on the needs of your team. Where many real time strategy games have alliances, World in Conflict enforces the concept of “teams.” You can’t be everywhere and do everything, so the army that fights together doesn’t die separately.